Internal-combustion engine



Nov. 9 1 926.

11,696,237 1.. B. KEEFER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 8, 1924 WIIII A L' IIJWI,IIIIIII INVENTOR 59 5 Law]; By @551 B W ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

LOWELL B. KEEFER, 0F FOSTORIA, OHIO INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed September 8, 1924. Serial No. 736,621.

'It is the primary object of my invention to provide an engine of such simplified constructlon as to make unnecessary the use of valves in their common form, with the consequent doing away with the cam shaft and other operating mechanism for the valves.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide an engine of cheap and economical construction, as well as one adapted to lend itself to the utmost efliciency in operation.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and construction of the various parts of my improved engine as described in the specification, claimed in my claims. and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse central sectional.

view of my improved motor. I

Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional View of my improved engine taken through one of the center cylinders.

Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of a portion of my improved engine.

7 I have shown an engine housing indicated generally as 5, within which a crank shaft 6 is positioned. 1.

Instead of providing a single connecting rod leading to a single firing position, I secure upon each of the connecting rod attaching points of the crank shaft connecting rods 7, 8 and 9, which said rods are attached at their upper ends to the pistons 10, 11 and 12 respectively. Likewise three cylinders 13, 14 and 15 are provided in which the pistons 10,-11 and 12 respectively operate.

The carburetor 16 is connected with the engine by the conduit 17 and the combustible mixture is carried thence through the passage 18, the opening 90 in the piston 10 and the passage 19 into the cylinder 15. Thus passage of fuel from the carburetor is stopped at all times excepting when the pis ton 10 has moved upwardly to align the opening 90 therein with the passages 18 and 19. The charge is passed through the opening 20 of the passage 19 into the chamber 21 when the opening 22 provided in the piston 12 is in alignment'with the opening 20. The chamber 21 is formed by the inner wall of the piston 12, the web 23 of the piston 12 and the web 24 in the cylinder 15.

It will be noted that the charge is gatheredin the chamber 21 on the downward stroke of the piston 12. Upon the upward stroke of the piston 12 the charge is forced fromthe chamber 21 through the passage 25 into the top portion 26 of the cylinder 14. This passage of the charge cannot be effected until the piston 12 has approximately reached its maximum upward stroke inasmuch as it is necessary that the opening 26 in the bottom of the piston 12 come in alignment with the mouth 27 of the passage 25, with the consequent result'that the charge is compressed in the chamber 21 before passing into the upper portion 26 of the cylinder 14.

The charge is then again compressed in the cylinder 14 by the upward stroke of the piston 11 and is ignited in the usual manner by a spark plug 28.

Most of the burned gases will then pass into alignment with the mouth 34 of the passage 31 with the conse uent alignment of the opening 35 in the piston 10 with the mouth 36 at the opposite end of the passage 31. These residual gases are then forced from the portion 32 of the cylinder 13 upon the upwardstroke of the piston 10 b reason of the alignment of the opening 3 in the piston 10 with the passage 38 leading from the cylinder 13. They then pass from the passage 38 through the exhaust manifold 30.

It has sometimes been found desirable to combine certain amounts of residual exhaust gases with incoming combustible mixtures and I have provided a passage 40 leading from the passage 38 and adapted@ to be opened 01' closed by a conventional valve 41, which said passage 40 may be suitably connected with the air intake 42 leading to the carburetor 16. Thus, if desired, any desired quantity of residual exhaust gases may be mixed with the incoming combustible fuel.

It will be noted that each of the pistons 10, 11 and 12 are provided with a pair of lower rings 43 and the piston 11 is provided with a single upper ring 44. Bin s54 and 64 are also provided in the depen ing portions 55 and 65 of the cylinders 13 and 15, adapted to bear against the upper skirt portions 56 passage 39 into the and 66 of the pistons 10 and 12. It will be noted further that passageways indicated generally as have been provided around the piston 11 in cylinder. 1% for the purpose of giving the necessary water cooling.

The pockets 67 and 68 formed in the cylinders 13 and 15 provide spaces within which the ends. 56 and 66 0f the pistons 10 and 12 may operate and tend to form a vacuum or cushioning efiect upon the pistons 10 and 12 at the limits of both the up and down strokes thereof- It will further be noted that ininy detailed description, I have described a single firing piston with its two transversely aligned cooperating pistons, but I desire it to be understood that as many firing pistons as may be desired may be used as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

In a construction such as has been described no valve mechanisms are required for the fuel intake and exhaust ofl'take with the result that no .cam shaft with its cooperating parts is required. Further, the firing cylinder is operated to effect a power stroke upon each return to upward position of the piston so that it is not necessary that the piston be returned to its upward position twice for each explosion.

Furthermore, the slanted construction of the piston head 23 and cylinder head 24:

makes for better eficiency in forcing the combustible fuel from the cylinder 15 into the cylinder 14: and the double compression of the fuel necessarily makes for better effi'ciency/in combustion. Likewise the double exhaust gas removal provided by the combination of the cylinders 14 and 13 more nearly effects a complete removal of exhaust gases than is customary .in internal combustion engines such as are now commonly used.

It is obvious that various chan es may be made in the arrangement, com ination and construction of the various'pa'rts of my improved engine without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims such changes as may. be reasonably included within the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, three transversely aligned cylinders, pistons adapted for reciprocation'therein, a fuelsupply source, means operated by the reciprocation of said pistons for drawing fuel fromsaid source through one of said cylinders into another,

ineans for passing said fuel into the third cylinder, means for igniting said fuel in said third cylinder ,and means for passing the resulting exhaust gases out of said third cylinder' and through said first cylinder.

2. In combination, three transversely aligned cylinders, pistons adapted for reciprooation therein, a fuel supply source, an

mo es? openingin one of said pistons adapted to communicate with said source in a predetermined position of said piston, a passage communicating with said opening when said opening is in communication with said fuel supply source, an opening in another of said pistons adapted to communicate with said passage at a predetermined position thereof and to draw fuel from said passage into its cylinder through said opening, means for compressing said fuel in said cylinder, a sec- 7 icate therewith in a predetermined position of the piston to permit the passage of resulting exhaust gases into the manifold and further passages and openings connecting said first and third cylinders to effect the further removal of said gases from said third cylinder through said first cylinder in a predetermined position'of the two.

3. In combination, three transversely aligned cylinders, pistons adapted to reciprocate 1n said cylinders, openings in each of said pistons, passages between said cylinders, a fuel supply source adapted for connection with one of said cylinders, certain of said openings being so positioned as to permit the passage of fuel into onecylinder, then into another in certain positions of the pistons, means for igniting the fuel in the latter cylinder and other of said openings so I being so positioned as to permit the resultmg exhaust gas to pass ofi when said pistons are in other positions.

4:. In combination, three transversely aligned cylinders, pistons adapted to reciprocate in said cylinders, a fuel supply source, means for drawing fuel from said source through one of said cylinders andinto anotherof them, means for compressing the fuel in said second cylinder and then passing it into the third cylinder, means for again compressing the fuel and igniting it and means for passing the resulting exhaust .gases from said cylinder.

5. In combination, threetransversely aligned cylinders, pistons adapted td reciprocate in said cylinders, a fuel supply source, means for drawing fuel from said source through one of said cylinders and into another of them, means for compressing the fuel in said second cylinder and then passing it into the third cylinder, means for again compressing the fuel and igniting it and means for passing the resulting exhaust gases from said cylinder, and. means for down stroke of the piston, a second opening passing a portion of said exhaust gases into in said piston above the first opening therethe fuel supply source. e in and a second opening in said cylinder 6. In combination, a cylinder, a.reciproabove the first opening in it, said openings 5 eating piston therein, means for introducing bein adapted for communication on the upw fuel into said cylinder, means for-igniting war stroke of the piston to permit the passaid fuel, an opening in said piston, an opensage of exhaust gases through them on the ing in said cylinder adapted to communiupward stroke of the piston.- cate with the opening in said piston to perl mit the passage of exhaust gases on the LOWELL B. KEEFER. 

